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Hear & be Wise - Becoming a Preacher & Teacher of Wisdom

Reviewed by Bridget Jenkinson.

Have you wondered how you might preach sermons based on passages in Proverbs, Job or Ecclesiastes with reference to the Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels? Are you tolerant of an American context and style of writing? Do you have time and mental agility to dig into the exegetical depths of the biblical concept of ‘wisdom’? Would you like some suggestions of possible sermons on ‘wisdom’? Are you able to cope with an overload of quotations from American preachers?

If your answer to these questions is ‘yes’, then this could be a useful book for you. The author brings valuable insights to the oft-neglected biblical theme of wisdom. The theme is examined from four perspectives, which are described as the ‘four pillars of wisdom’. These are: the bended knee (the fear of the Lord), the listening heart, the cool spirit and the subversive voice. Each aspect is explored at length with reference to biblical texts and historical and contextual insights. For each ‘pillar’ there is a chapter containing suggested sermon characteristics, themes, titles and texts.

This book is a useful resource, but quite heavy going for busy preachers.